Machines, apparatus, or systems for applying, for example, tax stamps to individual packages of cigarettes, contained within a carton of cigarettes, are known in the art. An example of one such machine, apparatus, or system is disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,355 which issued to Davis on May 5, 1981. In-accordance with the operative structure comprising the disclosed machine, apparatus, or system, cartons of cigarettes are transported or conveyed by means of an infeed conveyor to an input platform or table, and subsequently, the cartons of cigarettes are further conveyed, moved, or routed through a carton separating stage, a carton flap opening stage, a carton flap fold-back stage, a cigarette package stamping stage, and a carton flap reglueing stage. If cartons having different length, different width, and/or different height dimensions are to be processed, various structural components or mechanisms comprising the various aforenoted cigarette carton and package processing stages or stations must be adjusted so as to in fact enable the machine, apparatus, or system to accommodate and process the cartons having such different length, width, and height dimensions. Unfortunately, in accordance with the structural arrangement or construction comprising the various interactive or interoperative components of the aforenoted machine, apparatus, or system of Davis, the adjustable structural components or mechanisms must be manually adjusted which is very time-consuming and tedious for operator personnel. As can therefore be readily appreciated, the throughput processing speed of the machine, apparatus, or system is relatively slow, and the throughput processing or output volume of the machine, apparatus, or system is relatively low.
In order to effectively improve upon the processing of differently-sized cigarette cartons within the aforenoted Davis machine or apparatus, the system of Michalski, as disclosed within U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/037,386, which was filed on Dec. 21, 2001 and which is entitled LINEAR STAMP APPLICATOR MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME, was developed. Briefly, in accordance with the apparatus or system of Michalski, a sensing mechanism is disposed at a first station located at the upstream end portion of the machine or system whereby, for example, the height dimension of each cigarette carton is determined and the height dimension data, reflective of each individual cigarette carton, is transmitted to a program logic controller (PLC). The subsequent processing stations, located downstream from the first upstream cigarette carton sensing and height determination station, comprise appropriate operative components or means, for example, for opening the cigarette cartons, for stamping the individual cigarette packages contained within each cigarette carton, and for closing and resealing the cigarette cartons after the stamps have been applied to all of the cigarette packages within the cigarette cartons. In addition, suitable servo mechanisms are operatively associated with the particular operative components disposed at each one of the processing stations, and accordingly, when the program logic controller (PLC) transmits suitable data, indicative of the height dimensions characteristic of each particular cigarette carton, to each one of the servo mechanisms, the servo mechanisms adjust the respective operative components disposed at the processing stations such that the station components are optimally positioned with respect to the particular cigarette carton disposed at the particular processing station in order to permit the particular operative components to properly perform their particular operation upon the cigarette carton or packages.
While the system of Michalski has been commercially successful, it was determined that further improvements needed to be implemented in connection with such a system in order to, for example, render the same operatively more efficient whereby the throughput processing volume can be increased, and in addition, the overall structural arrangement of the system can be simplified and rendered more economical. For example, it has been noted that, in accordance with the system of Michalski, each individual cigarette carton needs to have its height dimension determined regardless of the fact, for example, that the particular carton of cigarettes may comprise one of several cartons of cigarettes of the same type or brand of cigarettes manufactured by the same manufacturer whereby all of the cigarette cartons will in effect have the same height dimension. In addition, as has been noted, each one of the cigarette carton opening, cigarette package stamping, and cigarette carton closing and re-sealing stations must have its own servo mechanism operatively disposed at each particular operational station, for receiving the height dimension data, which is characteristic of each cigarette carton and which has been previously entered into the memory of the program logic controller (PLC), so as to respectively control the disposition of the particular operational mechanism, located at such station, with respect to each incoming cigarette carton whereby each operation mechanism may properly perform its particular operation with respect to the particular cigarette carton.
Still further, in order to initially open the sealed cigarette cartons, the cigarette cartons are conveyed through a cigarette carton opening station at which a plow mechanism is disposed. Roller members are disposed immediately upstream of the plow mechanism so as to effectively squeeze the side portions of the cigarette carton together and thereby cause the top flaps of the carton to effectively assume a substantially “domed” configuration into which the plow mechanism can be moved so as to subsequently forcefully separate and open the bonded top carton flaps with respect to each other. It sometimes occurs, however, due, for example, to different stiffness parameters characteristic of different cigarette cartons, that the “domed” configuration is not always properly or sufficiently formed so as to in fact permit the plow mechanism to be properly inserted into the space defined beneath the bonded top carton flaps. At other times, the plow mechanism may in fact be properly inserted into the space defined beneath the upwardly “domed” top carton flaps, however, the adhesive bonding force defined between the top carton flaps is sometimes greater than the tear resistance defined between the top carton flaps and the remainder of the cigarette carton. Accordingly, upon insertion of the plow mechanism into the space defined beneath the upwardly “domed” top carton flaps, one or both of the top carton flaps is or are torn away from the remainder of the cigarette carton in lieu of the top carton flaps being properly separated and opened with respect to each other. This may also cause the processing line to become jammed which would, in turn, impact the throughput processing and volume capabilities of the stamp applicator machine or system.
Accordingly, as a result of the development of the invention as disclosed within the aforenoted U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/246,277, which is entitled SYNCHRONIZED STAMP APPLICATOR MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME, and which was filed on Sep. 18, 2002 in the name of Chojnacki et al., a new and improved machine, apparatus, or system for applying tax stamps to individual packages of cigarettes contained within a carton of cigarettes was developed wherein the various interactive or interoperative components of the machine, apparatus, or system which comprise, or are positioned at, for example, the carton flap opening station, the cigarette package stamping station, and the carton flap closing station, were able to be automatically adjusted by means of a single servo unit such that the machine, apparatus, or system was rendered more economical to construct and implement, wherein there was no longer a need to necessarily scan each incoming cigarette carton for its particular size or height dimension whereby the throughput processing speed of the machine, apparatus, or system was enhanced, wherein the opening operations performed upon the cigarette cartons were substantially simplified, optimized, and reliably ensured, and wherein further, means for accessing the various components of the machine or apparatus were provided such that jamming of the machine, apparatus, or system, at any particular operation station, could be readily rectified such that the throughput processing or output volume of the machine, apparatus, or system would not be adversely affected and was in fact enhanced as compared to conventional stamp applicator machines.
While the system of Chojnacki et al. has therefore likewise been commercially successful, it has been determined still further that further improvements need to be implemented in connection with such a system in order to, for example, render the same operatively more efficient, as well as universally more adaptable and reliable with respect to the various different types of cigarette cartons manufactured by various different cigarette manufacturing companies, whereby, again, the proper and accurate stamping of the cigarette packages can be achieved, the cigarette cartons can be properly opened without incurring any damage thereto or without causing any jamming of the apparatus or system, and wherein the throughput processing volume can be substantially increased. As disclosed within the aforenoted patent application to Chojnacki et al., cigarette packages are conventionally disposed within cigarette cartons in groups of ten packages, wherein the ten cigarette packages are arranged within two rows, each row comprising five cigarette packages. Tax stamps are provided as thermally activated waxed impressions upon a supply roll of waxed tax stamp paper, and are arranged within transversely extending rows with each row of tax stamps comprising fifteen tax stamps. A stamping iron is disposed at a tax stamp application station, and comprises, for example, five longitudinally spaced stamping iron shoes. The stamping iron is adapted to be moved into contact with the thermally activatable tax stamps, disposed upon the supply roll of waxed tax stamp paper, and thermally energized in a time-controlled manner so as to effectively transfer the waxed tax stamps, from the supply roll of waxed tax stamp paper onto the upper surface portions of the individual cigarette packages contained within each cigarette carton, when the individual thermally energized stamping iron shoes come into contact with the waxed tax stamps, thereby effectively melting and transferring the same.
It is to be appreciated still further, that in order for the five longitudinally spaced stamping iron shoes of the stamping iron to effectively encounter and transfer all of the fifteen waxed tax stamps disposed within each row of waxed tax stamps disposed upon the supply roll of waxed tax stamp paper, the stamping iron must be indexable between three predetermined longitudinally spaced positions. Accordingly, when the stamping iron is disposed at its first longitudinal position in preparation for the transfer of waxed tax stamps from the waxed tax stamp paper onto the cigarette packages disposed within a first cigarette carton disposed at the tax stamp application station, the five stamping iron shoes will effectively thermally engage those waxed tax stamps which are disposed within particular rows of waxed tax stamps upon the waxed tax stamp paper and which are located at the first, fourth, seventh, tenth, and thirteenth positions of the fifteen waxed tax stamp positions comprising each row of waxed tax stamps. Subsequently, after the cigarette packages of the first cigarette carton have had the tax stamps applied thereto, the first cigarette carton is conveyed downstream from the tax stamp application station to a successive station for further processing, while a second cigarette carton is moved into the tax stamp application station.
In conjunction with the movement of the second cigarette carton to the tax stamp application station, the stamping iron is indexably moved to its second predetermined longitudinal position whereby the five stamping iron shoes will now be able to effectively thermally engage those waxed tax stamps which are disposed within the same rows of waxed tax stamps upon the waxed tax stamp paper but which are now located at the second, fifth, eighth, eleventh, and fourteenth positions of the fifteen waxed tax stamp positions comprising each row of waxed tax stamps. In a similar manner, after the cigarette packages of the second cigarette carton have had the tax stamps applied thereto, the second cigarette carton is conveyed downstream from the tax stamp application station for further processing, while a third cigarette carton is moved into the tax stamp application station. In conjunction with the movement of the third cigarette carton to the tax stamp application station, the stamping iron is indexably moved to its third predetermined longitudinal position whereby the five stamping iron shoes will now be able to effectively thermally engage those waxed tax stamps which are disposed within the same rows of waxed tax stamps upon the waxed tax stamp paper but which are now located at the third, sixth, ninth, twelfth, and fifteenth positions of the fifteen waxed tax stamp positions comprising each row of waxed tax stamps.
It is to be appreciated that in view of the fact that all of the cigarette cartons are fixedly disposed at the same position within the tax stamp application station during a tax stamp application procedure, and in view of the additional fact that the waxed tax stamp paper, having the tax stamps disposed thereon for transfer onto the cigarette packages of one of the cigarette cartons, is also fixedly disposed at a particular position within the tax stamp application station during the tax stamp application procedure, then it is to be appreciated further that the indexable movement of the stamping iron to any one of its three positions effectively moves the stamping iron with respect to any fixed position of the tax stamp application station. Accordingly, and more importantly, it can be readily appreciated that the indexable movement of the stamping iron to any one of its three positions effectively alters the relative disposition of the stamping iron with respect to the cigarette cartons disposed at the tax stamp application station, all of which are, as has been noted, disposed at the same predetermined position within the tax stamp application station. Therefore, it can be appreciated still further that when the stamping iron is disposed at its first indexable position with respect to the tax stamp application station, the tax stamps will actually be deposited upon a first longitudinal end portion of each cigarette package, whereas when the stamping iron is disposed at its second indexable position with respect to the tax stamp application station, the tax stamps will be deposited at a substantially central portion of each cigarette package, whereas, lastly, when the stamping iron is disposed at its third indexable position with respect to the tax stamp application station, the tax stamps will actually be deposited upon a second opposite longitudinal end portion of each cigarette package.
It can therefore be appreciated still further that this mode of operation, of controlling the relative disposition of the stamping iron and the stamping iron shoes thereof, with respect to the waxed tax stamp paper and the individual cigarette packages of the cigarette cartons, can pose potential operative problems. More particularly, it has been noted that different cigarette manufacturing companies produce different cigarette cartons, having different sized cigarette packages disposed therein, which are characterized by different external dimensions. Accordingly, as a result of these differences in size dimensions of the cigarette cartons, as functions of the particular cigarette manufacturer, when the differently sized cigarette cartons are disposed at the tax stamp application station, it has in fact been experienced that the stamping iron shoes will effectively be offset from their previously desired or predetermined positions with respect to the cigarette packages when the stamping iron is disposed at either one of its extreme or end positions, that is, its first and third positions. Therefore, when the tax stamps are in fact transferred from the waxed tax stamp paper onto the cigarette packages, the tax stamps are not always fully imprinted upon the cigarette packages but only partially imprinted upon the cigarette packages. This phenomenon is known as “chop-off”. More particularly, while an entire tax stamp is in fact thermally melted and transferred from the waxed tax stamp paper toward the cigarette packages, only approximately one half of each tax stamp may actually be imprinted onto a particularly designated cigarette package, the other half of the tax stamp either not being imprinted at all upon any cigarette package or being imprinted upon an improper portion of an adjacent cigarette package.
Continuing further, in addition to the aforenoted logistics problem in connection with the proper disposition of the stamping iron, and the proper transfer and imprinting of the waxed tax stamps onto the cigarette packages of each cigarette carton, due to the differing size dimensions of the various cigarette packages and cigarette cartons, the differing size dimensions of the various cigarette packages poses additional operational problems. As noted within the aforenoted United States patent application to Chojnacki et al., specifically constructed implements or mechanisms have been employed in order to ensure, as best as possible, that the flaps of each cigarette carton are properly opened in preparation for the implementation of the tax stamp application procedures. More particularly, as disclosed within the aforenoted Chojnacki et al. patent application, the apparatus or machine comprises, for example, suction means for initially engaging the larger, outer flap member of each cigarette carton so as to effectively cause the larger, outer carton flap member, which is adhesively bonded to the smaller, inner flap member, to be lifted upwardly an amount which is sufficient enough so as to permit a cutter blade mechanism to be effectively interposed between the larger, outer and smaller, inner carton flap members and thereby sever the adhesive bond therebetween. As a result of the severance of the adhesive bond defined between the carton flap members, the carton flap members tend to automatically move upwardly a sufficient amount which enables a suitable plow mechanism to be inserted beneath the carton flap members so as to move the carton flap members from their substantially overlapped disposition with respect to each other to fully OPENED positions at which the carton flap members extend away from the cigarette carton in opposite directions with respect to each other.
While the aforenoted unsealing and opening of the cigarette cartons normally occurs, in connection with most of the cigarette cartons currently manufactured, in accordance with the aforenoted procedures, the multitude of commercially available cigarette cartons, manufactured by different companies according to different specifications, or wherein the cigarette cartons have the aforenoted varying dimensional characteristics, has in fact presented operational problems which have in effect prevented the apparatus or system of, for example, Chojnacki et al., from operating in accordance with its optimal design parameters. For example, due to the differences in the cigarette carton manufacturing techniques or specifications, it sometimes happens that the fold lines, defined between the cigarette carton flap members and the upstanding side wall members of the cigarette cartons, are not properly or sufficiently scored so as to permit the carton flap members to effectively automatically open the aforenoted sufficient amount with respect to each other in order to permit the introduction of the plow mechanism beneath the carton flap members so as to cause the carton flap members to be moved to their fully OPENED positions with respect to each other and with respect to the cigarette carton. In such a case, the plow mechanism might actually encounter or engage the carton flap members per se directly whereupon relative movement between the cigarette carton and the plow mechanism, the carton flap members, and side wall portions of the cigarette carton, may be undesirably damaged.
Alternatively, it sometimes occurs that the size dimensions of the individual cigarette packages do not correspond sufficiently with the size dimensions of the cigarette cartons whereby, when the cigarette packages are disposed internally within the cigarette cartons, the upper surface portions of the cigarette packages are disposed at an elevational level which is beneath the fold lines defined between the cigarette carton flap members and the upstanding side wall members of the cigarette cartons. Accordingly, when the carton flap members are folded inwardly so as to achieve their relative overlapped dispositions with respect to each other and with respect to the cigarette carton, it sometimes occurs that the free or distal end portion of the smaller inner carton flap, which is remote from the proximal end portion which is attached to the cigarette carton at the scored fold line, is disposed atop the upper surface portions of the cigarette packages and is beneath the elevational level at which the scored fold lines are defined. Therefore, when the adhesive bond defined between the carton flap members is unsealed, and the carton flap members are adapted to be opened with respect to each other, the smaller, inner flap member sometimes remains at its position internally within the cigarette carton and atop the cigarette packages. Consequently, when the cigarette carton is moved to the processing station at which the plow mechanism is adapted to be inserted beneath the carton flap members in order to move the carton flap members to their fully OPENED position, the plow mechanism will not in fact be capable of being inserted beneath the smaller, inner carton flap member whereby, again, the carton flap members, and side wall portions of the cigarette carton, may be undesirably damaged.
Still yet further, in accordance with packaging techniques practiced or implemented by means of some of the cigarette manufacturing companies, auxiliary cardboard members are sometimes placed internally within the cigarette cartons so as to serve as spacer members, depending upon the relative size dimensions of the cigarette packages with respect to the size dimensions of the internal space defined within the cigarette cartons, or alternatively, so as to enhance the rigidity characteristics of the cigarette cartons in order to protect the internal cigarette packages from damage during handling and transporting of the same from commercial distribution centers to ultimate retail sales outlets. Providing the cigarette cartons with such enhanced rigidity characteristics can, however, present operational problems. For example, if the plow mechanism and pinch roller system, such as, for example, the system disclosed within the aforenoted Michalski patent, is utilized to effectively squeeze or pinch the cigarette carton between the pair of rollers in order to effectively cause the cigarette carton flap members to be formed into dome-shaped members by means of which the plow mechanism can be readily inserted beneath such dome-shaped carton flap members, the enhanced rigidity characteristics of the cigarette cartons effectively prevents the squeezing together of the side portions of the cigarette cartons and the consequent formation of the dome-shaped carton flap members. Therefore, since the carton flap members are not fully formed so as to exhibit their dome-shaped configurations, a sufficient insertion space is not effectively formed beneath the carton flap members so as to in fact permit the insertion of the plow mechanism within such space. Accordingly, the plow mechanism will again encounter or engage the carton flap members, and/or the side wall portions of the cigarette carton whereby, again, such structural components of the cigarette cartons may be undesirably damaged.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved apparatus for applying tax stamps to individual cigarette packages contained within different cigarette cartons having different dimensions, wherein there will no longer be a need to necessarily scan each incoming cigarette carton for its particular size or height dimension such that the throughput processing speed of the apparatus is enchanced, wherein the various interactive or interoperative components of the apparatus which comprise, or are positioned at, for example, the carton flap opening station, the cigarette package tax stamp application station, and the carton flap closing station, will be able to be automatically adjusted by means of a single servo unit, wherein the carton flap opening station will comprise mechanisms for ensuring the individual opening of both the larger, outer carton flap member and the smaller, inner carton flap member, despite different size dimensions of the individual cigarette packages and cigarette cartons, so as to ensure proper preparation of the cigarette cartons for tax stamp application to the cigarette packages, and wherein the tax stamp application station will comprise mechanisms for ensuring that the tax stamps are always applied to central portions of each cigarette package, despite different size dimensions of the individual cigarette packages and cigarette cartons, whereby the previously experienced phenomenon of “chop-off” will effectively be prevented.